WISCONSIN RAPIDS – John Fanta, general manager of the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters college summer league baseball team isn't embarrassed to share how he spent some of the off-season with team co-owner and president Vern Stenman.

"Vern and I were floating (wooden rafts) in our bathtubs and sinks," Fanta said.

Say what?

It's true, but it was all in preparation for a new feature the Northwoods League team will unveil this season: The "Point Craft River," an interactive attraction for Rafters fans that will be located under the "Rat Trap" deck, Fanta said.

The all-inclusive river feature will allow fans to purchase a $27 (general admission) or $30 (reserved seating) game ticket, giving them unlimited craft beer through the end of the seventh inning. Food also is included through the fifth inning in the ticket price, Fanta said.

The general admission ticket includes all amenities with table seating behind the bar; reserved seats include a seat at the water-powered bar.

"The new area that we are kind of looking to construct down the third-base line is an 80-foot bar that has a river built into it," Fanta said. "You'll send (your beverage order) along with your raft on a zip line down to the center service area where the bartender will take your order and put a canned craft beer — whatever you ordered — into the raft and float it back down to you."

Another angle showing Point Craft River at Witter Field.(Photo: Contributed art)

Work will begin as soon as weather allows, and the feature should be ready by the May 26 opener. While other park improvements — new paint for the bleachers, some new netting behind home plate and general outfield fence maintenance — are financed by the city, the Rafters are paying for additions like the Point Craft River, Fanta said.

"(The bar is) unique to the entire world — and it's going to be right here in Wisconsin Rapids," Fanta said. "There's no precedent to go off of this.

"We looked into finding out if there was a way to find another bar that had a river built into it and there wasn't."

Forty ticket-holders for the reserved-seating area will get a numbered raft and a beverage menu and will sit in a seat that correlates to their raft. Seating also will be available under the Rat Trap.

The team has partnered with local companies, including NextGen Logs, Eron & Gee Herman's Plumbing and Heating and Point Brewery.

"It's a no-maintenance log siding," Bord said. "The color is right in the concrete, so it never has to be re-stained or painted," Bord said.

"And it's lightweight; it doesn't weigh any more than traditional log siding for about the same price," Bord said.

Like others involved, Bord is excited to get involved in the unique project.

"We've done concrete bars, but never anything like this," he said.

Another angle showing Point Craft River at Witter Field.(Photo: Contributed art)

The river will flow in two different directions from the main service area, Fanta said. The design of that function falls to Eron & Gee Herman's Plumbing and Heating in Wisconsin Rapids.

"I'm not an engineer, but I guess if it has to do with beer, I can help them out," Kelly Rosekrans, estimator/project manager for the plumbing/heating business, said with a laugh.

"On my end, I know it will work," Rosekrans said. "It will take some tweaking on my end to make it go, but I'm confident it will work."

About 18 of the 24 craft beers offered will come from the Stevens Point Brewery, which has the naming rights and sponsorship of the feature.

"I had never heard of a river built into a bar — especially one that will serve beer to customers," said Julie Birrenkott, director of marketing for the Stevens Point-based brewery, adding the company loved the idea. "I thought it was really creative how they can tie together two well-known icons — the (Wisconsin) river and Point beers — all in one.

All involved expect the feature to be a hit with fans.

"I think it's cool; I hope I can be one of the first ones to try it out," Rosekrans said.

Fanta can't wait to get the log rafts out of the sink and into the "river."

"Not only is it a cool venue to sit in, you'll have your beer floating down to you, but you've got 24 different types of beer to try at the ballpark. You get your food included ... but I think the main attraction of this is the prime seating, the river, and everything else," Fanta said.

"I'm pumped up to see what it will look like."

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Some prototypes of possible rafts that will float craft beers down the Point CRaft River at Witter Field during the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters games.(Photo: DEB CLEWORTH/Daily Tribune Media)

More Rafters news

•Expected beer offerings from Point Brewery: Point Beyond the Pale IPA, Point Coast Radler, Point Nude Beach Summer wheat and new styles, JP's Casper White Stout or JP's Helani Pineapple Hefeweizen. The hard cider offerings include Ciderboys Peach County, Ciderboys First Press and Ciderboys Strawberry Magic.

•The Rafters open the season at 6:35 p.m. May 26 when the team hosts the Wisconsin (Wausau-based) Woodchucks at Witter Field, 521 Witter St. Ticket information and game day promotions can be found on the Rafters website, www.northwoodsleague.com/wisconsin-rapids-rafters. The park features 1,588 fixed seats and 1,467 unobstructed view seats. Last year, the club put in a handicapped-access deck for fans.